The Sports World Reacts to George Steinbrenner's Death

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FILE - This Oct. 21, 1981, file photo shows New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner working at his desk at Yankee Stadium in New York, before Game 2 of the World Series. On the wall behind Steinbrenner is an autographed photo of Cary Grant. A person close to George Steinbrenner says the Yankees owner died Tuesday morning, July 13, 2010. (AP Photo/File)

Updated at 2:13 PM EST on Tuesday, Jul 13, 2010

In the aftermath of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's death, tributes poured in from current and former players, loved ones and fans. Steinbrenner, a controversial and polarizing figure in the sports world, who was banned from baseball twice, yet led the club to seven World Championships, suffered a fatal heart attack early Tuesday at 80.

"It is with profound sadness that the family of George M. Steinbrenner III announces his passing," Steinbrenner's family said in a statement. "He was a visionary and a giant in the world of sports. He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion again."

In Memoriam

Steinbrenner was "one of the top owners in the history of sports," said Dave Winfield, whose tumultuous relationship with Steinbrenner led to the Yankee owner's three-year suspension from baseball in 1990.

"He was like a father I never had," Daryl Strawberry, who played on Yankees World Series winners in 1996 and 1999, told ESPN. "The Boss loved his players. He cares about people. That's what a lot of people don't understand about him."

"The most significant, the most impactful owner that our sport has ever seen," said Aaron Boone, whose home run against the Red Sox in the 2003 American League Championship Series propelled the Yankees into the World Series.

"First and foremost this man was a winner. From a person with my perspective, he was an inspiration in the area of doing everything possible - within the rules - to win," Dallas Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones said in a statement.

"Few people have had a bigger impact on New York over the past four decades than George Steinbrenner," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told ESPN. "George had a deep love for New York, and his steely determination to succeed combined with his deep respect and appreciation for talent and hard work made him a quintessential New Yorker."